HoYoverse’s new upcoming game Petit Planet is currently in beta, and if you got access, you know exactly why this is going to be the next cozy game you will spend hours on!
Petit Planet is a cute little life simulation game that immediately reminds us of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, but with a few clever changes. In Petit Planet, you build and decorate your own miniature world on various different planets, working alongside a cast of adorable animal coworkers.
A Cozy Setup
You will join Loomi Co, a team of three cute animals, and help develop a tiny planet from scratch. The game takes clear inspiration from other cozy games, with tiny worlds, a ton of colors, and cute little customization options. You can even pick between two distinct biomes to start in, like golden prairies or other themed regions.
At the center of your planet grows a magical tree that expands your world as you feed it rare resources, unlocking new zones like beaches, rivers, and mountains over time.
Familiar Gameplay, but With Hoyoverse Style
Petit Planet includes everything you would expect from a life sim:
- Fishing
- Mining
- Crafting
- Bug-catching
- Cooking
- Foraging
One unique detail is how you can use shellfish tongs to scoop up little sea creatures along the shore, a small but amusing addition that fits the game’s quirky vibe.
Your character has stamina (called Strength) that is used for most actions, and you can restore it by eating food or fruit. So far, resource gathering feels pretty balanced and satisfying, with plenty of items available during the beta.
Building and Customization
The construction system is surprisingly much deeper than we thought! You can terraform, build bridges and stairs, and freely decorate both interiors and exteriors. It is not limited to just one world, either! You can literally design multiple planets and visit them whenever you like.
Character customization is currently not very developed (only four skin tones and limited hairstyles), but we are guessing this is mostly because the game is still in beta right now, and more will probably be available at launch. You can also unlock more through in-game shops that refresh every 24 hours. So far, everything can be bought with currency you obtain in game, but it is unknown if some stuff will be available through gacha systems later on.
Explore Mini-Worlds and Recruit Neighbors
Once you unlock your car, you can visit small Planettes to gather resources and recruit new Neighbors. These are more animal NPCs with unique personalities and stories. Each Neighbor reveals more of their lore the more you interact with them, and some may eventually move to your main world.
The game seems to focus more on the decorating aspect than the relationship one, however, there are a ton of interactions possible between you and the Neighbors!
Multiplayer and Social Features
The Galactic Bazaar acts as a multiplayer hub where you can chat, play mini-games, and meet new people. Social interaction requires sitting on specific spots to open chat. It is unknown if you can do private sessions with just you and your friends, or if you automatically will have strangers hanging out there as well.
We did not test it, but in theory you can also invite other players to your Planet directly, and hang out together there!
A Touch of AI and Humor
There are even two AI chatbots:
- One that serves as a help assistant
- A second one that serves as a friendly barista NPC for casual conversation
And yes, the game has a sense of humor! One NPC even jokes about there being “no loans to pay,” a friendly nod to Tom Nook’s never-ending debt cycle in Animal Crossing.
Monetization Still Unclear
For now, Petit Planet is supposed to be completely free-to-play and features no gacha system. Everything in the beta, from furniture to clothes, can be bought with in-game currencies earned through playing.
That said, multiple currencies exist, and HoYoverse is keeping quiet about how monetization will work in the final version. The possibility is items being part of a gacha system, such as clothes, furniture, or maybe even neighbors (but hopefully not the last one).
Impressions So Far
Overall, Petit Planet feels like HoYoverse’s most relaxing and social game yet.
It really captures the charm of Animal Crossing, and adds clearer progression, multiplayer, and a touch of space magic. You have a nice tutorial at the start that did not feel too long or too complicated. It goes over the basics without being annoying. And after that, you are pretty much free to do what you want.
If the final release maintains this balance without leaning too hard into monetization, Petit Planet could become the next big cozy-life game!
For more guides and information, check out our latest news as well!
